A water birthing story told in photos

All photos by Georgia Peach Pictures.
It's totally a cliche, but there's something about birth photography that makes me quiet. Every time I see photos from a birth — whether it's an unmedicated home birth or a hospital birth or something in between — I just feel like… I have to respect the awesomeness that is childbirth. These photos by Georgia Peach Pictures (she wrote that guide to making your family videos more awesome you guys loved) have definitely rocked my world.

Birthing a kid is a pretty cool thing to do, but not unique: everyone who has experienced it shares the experience with millions of people around the world. So in that light, it's pretty awesome to me that people choose to have their birthing experiences documented: it's like your way of giving one big tip of your hat to everyone else. Nice.

I absolutely love shots like this -- you feel so much without even seeing their expressions. Perfection.

wow. This is beautiful. I love that you can see how strong this mama is, but also how much she needs Daddy. Some of the pictures she's alone and being strong for her child and sometimes all she needs is to be held… isn't that parenting? Amazing pictures and i'm sure there's more for their eyes only. I'm so glad they have this on film (memory card?)

What beautiful photos! This post couldn't have come at a better time as I'm currently pregnant and giving birth where these were taken. One of the above photos even has my midwife in it! Thank you so much for posting it.

Ok, stupid question from someone who is not pregnant and has never had kids but eventually plans to….

I have been starting to love the idea of a water birth, based mostly on posts from Offbeat Mama, but when I brought it up to my husband he kind of freaked out about the idea of all kinds of grossness being in the water and getting everywhere… is this really the case? In all the pictures up there, the water still looks clear and lovely, and neither mama nor daddy nor baby look like they're covered in gross. (In fact, they're all stright-up gorgeous.) What's the deal with that? Is it just an awesome photographer? Is it cleaner than my husband is expecting? A little help for the ignorant, here, please…

Can I just add that you totally will not care as much as you think you will? Being in the moment is so intense and focuses that usually the last thing on your mind is embarrassment, at least that's how it was with me. Most women have a bowel movement, water birth or not, and your midwive will be completely professional when dealing with it.

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